Written Answers Monday 14 March 2005

Scottish Executive

Ambulance Service

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports a policy for managing staff fatigue in the Scottish Ambulance Service, particularly in the Highlands.

Mr Andy Kerr: The management of staff fatigue within the Scottish Ambulance Service is an operational matter for that organisation. The Executive would expect the ambulance service to be able to provide safe and appropriate care at all times, in accordance with the clinical needs of patients in the Highlands and elsewhere in Scotland.

Ambulance Service

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports a policy for recalling off-duty ambulance crew to maintain cover during periods of absence caused by staff fatigue.

Mr Andy Kerr: The management of staff fatigue within the Scottish Ambulance Service is an operational matter for that organisation. Off-duty ambulance crew are recalled to maintain cover during periods of absence caused by staff fatigue only in circumstances where it is assessed that the demand cannot otherwise be adequately covered.

Ambulance Service

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any concerns in respect of ambulance crews who are fatigued being reluctant to sign off work in case urgent ambulance support is required.

Mr Andy Kerr: The management of staff fatigue within the Scottish Ambulance Service is an operational matter for that organisation.

  The ambulance service is not aware of any occasions when fatigued staff have felt reluctant to sign off work in case urgent ambulance support is required. The organisation actively encourages staff, through its driver fatigue policy, to call in fatigued whenever they feel it would be clinically unsafe for them to continue with their duties.

Ambulance Service

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers 96p per hour to be a sufficient rate of pay for an on-call paramedic.

Mr Andy Kerr: The use of on-call by the Scottish Ambulance Service in the Highlands and elsewhere in Scotland is an operational matter for that organisation. The rates of pay, including the on-call payment, are negotiated and agreed each year under the service’s partnership arrangements. The rate applies when staff are providing out-of-hours cover by being available on-call, in most cases at home, to respond to emergency calls. Where they are tasked to respond to a call they receive their full hourly rate of pay for the duration of the incident and for each call-out they receive a minimum of two hours pay. These payments are additional to those made to staff for their contracted in-hours duties.

Angling

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to ban angling as a sport.

Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Executive has no plans to ban angling as a sport.

Burial and Cremation

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost was to environmental health departments of administering burials in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002, (e) 2003 and (f) 2004, broken down by local authority.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what charges were made by local authorities for (a) basic burial and (b) cremation in (i) 1999, (ii) 2000, (iii) 2001, (iv) 2002, (v) 2003 and (vi) 2004, broken down by local authority.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is not held centrally.

Burial and Cremation

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost is of providing a basic funeral and what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government to increase the level of grant available from the Department for Work and Pensions for this purpose.

Mr Andy Kerr: The payment of benefits, including those made for funeral expenses, is a reserved matter, on which the Executive has made no representations to the UK Government.

  Information specific to Scotland is not held centrally.

Cancer

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to promote among employers equality of treatment of workers who have been diagnosed with cancer in light of the recent CancerBACUP survey.

Mr Andy Kerr: Employment legislation is a reserved matter.

  On 25 November 2004 the UK government introduced the Disability Discrimination Bill which will amend the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 so that more people diagnosed with cancer will be brought within the scope of the act.

  In addition, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has produced a Framework for Vocational Rehabilitation demonstrating Government’s commitment to provide direction and leadership on vocational rehabilitation.

  Healthy Working Lives (HWL) – A plan for action was launched by the Scottish Executive in August 2004. This covers all aspects of workplace health, including the promotion of employment and job retention, particularly for people with health or other disadvantages.

Cancer

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards are using Zometa® for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is not available centrally. Zometa® is given as an infusion and should be used by clinicians experienced in the administration of intravenous bisphosphonates. Data on drugs dispensed in hospitals are not available centrally. Centrally collected data relate to prescribed items dispensed in the community by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors.

Communities Scotland

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is in respect of Communities Scotland’s practice that, if a housing association secures a grant from an energy-saving organisation, it reduces the housing association grant for that development by an equivalent sum.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  The level of grant approved by Communities Scotland for housing association projects is based on a comprehensive and consistent assessment system designed to ensure that the public funding offered is the minimum necessary to enable each project to proceed while maintaining high standards of design, construction and sustainability. Where funding is secured from other partners, the level of housing association grant is therefore reduced and channelled into other projects to produce additional affordable housing units.

Customs and Excise

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty’s Government regarding the viability of Customs and Excise operations in Scotland following the reductions in civil service numbers and, in particular, regarding border security and coastal protection.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive has regular contact with the UK Government and HM Customs and Excise on a range of issues. At an operational level, the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency and Scottish police forces work closely with a number of UK law enforcement agencies, including HM Customs and Excise, in order to provide a co-ordinated partnership approach. However, the deployment of resources by each such agency is an operational matter for that agency.

Dairy Produce

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out any assessment of the impact on the dairy sector of the provision of school milk to primary and secondary children and, if not, whether it has any plans to do so.

Ross Finnie: There are no current plans to undertake such an assessment. It is clear, however, that educational establishments provide a useful outlet for drinking milk, for the benefit of the industry and child health.

Dairy Produce

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made, or will make, of how many farmers may cease milk production after 31 March 2005.

Ross Finnie: The Executive has not carried out a specific assessment of the number of farmers likely to cease milk production after 31 March 2005 and has no plans to do so. Any change to the number of milk producers will be affected by a range of factors including personal circumstances, milk prices, exchange rates and decoupling. There is a general consensus that the trend towards fewer, larger dairy farms, evident for some years, is likely to continue post 2005.

Dairy Produce

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made, or will make, of the long-term sustainability of the dairy sector.

Ross Finnie: The Executive has not carried out an assessment of the long-term sustainability of the dairy sector and has no plans to do so. The future sustainability of dairying will be determined by decisions taken by individual dairy farmers in response to a range of factors, not least market conditions. The Executive is keen to see that the dairy sector responds positively to the challenges of decoupling and to meeting market requirements and wider society objectives. The recently announced measures under the Land Management Contract Menu Scheme should assist dairy – and other – producers to respond to the challenges.

Dentistry

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20034 by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 December 2001, how many places there have been at each dental school in each year since 2001 and what the ratio was of applications to places available in each year.

Rhona Brankin: The information on applications received and available places at Dundee and Glasgow Dental Schools from 2002 to 2004 is provided in the following table.

  

Year
Dundee Dental School
Glasgow Dental School


Applications
Available Places
Ratio of Applications to Places
Applications
Available Places
Ratio of Applications to Places


2004
393
67
5.9:1
414
90
4.6:1


2003
311
61
5.1:1
374
80
4.9:1


2002
282
61
4.6:1
326
80
4.2:1



  Source: Admissions Offices, Dundee and Glasgow Dental Schools.

  Notes:

  1. For Dundee the figures combine those for a preliminary Predental Year, and for direct entry to Year

  2. The "Available Places" includes those for overseas students.

  Between 2001 and 2004, the number of applications received and places available for dental training have increased with a healthy ratio of applications to places.

Diabetes

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost per patient is of providing an insulin pump for the treatment of diabetes.

Mr Andy Kerr: Insulin pumps cost between £2,350 and £2,562 and can be expected to last four to eight years. The maintenance cost per year following warranty life (usually four years) is approximately £180 per year. The average cost of consumables (i.e. insulin cartridges, infusion sets and batteries) is approximately £950 to £1,200 per year. All people with type 1 diabetes require daily insulin. Reduced insulin use by pump users reduces costs by between £37 and £89 per patient per year. These figures exclude all staff costs associated with training and supporting patients using insulin pumps and any cost savings resulting from improved control.

  Costs are based on figures taken from a report published in October 2004 by the NHS R&D HTA Programme: Clinical and cost-effectiveness of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion for diabetes by JL Colquitt, C Green, MK Sidhu, D Hartwell and N Waugh. Health Technology Assessment 2004; Vol. 8: No. 43. Full report available at http://www.ncchta.org/fullmono/mon843.pdf.

Drug Enforcement Agency

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers have been deployed to the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency in each year since it was established.

Cathy Jamieson: All police officers with the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency are seconded from Scottish police forces. Numbers may fluctuate throughout the year as officers join or are released back to their force. The table provides details of the number of officers with the agency at 1 April in each year since the agency was established.

  

Year
Number of Officers


2001
107


2002
129


2003
175


2004
192


2005 (1 March)
200

Dyslexia

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what specific role HM Inspectorate of Education is expected to fulfil in relation to appropriate provision for pupils with dyslexia.

Peter Peacock: A key role of HM Inspectorate of Education is to inspect and evaluate all aspects of school provision in Scotland. This includes the quality of provision for pupils with a wide range of special educational needs, including dyslexia.

  Further information on the role of HM Inspectorate of Education can be found on their website at:

  www.hmie.gov.uk.

Education

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual attendance rate for pupils was in (a) primary, (b) secondary, (c) special and (d) all schools in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Peter Peacock: Statistics on attendance rates in primary and secondary schools are published on the Executive’s website and are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

  Data up to 2002-03: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00304-00.asp (Bib. number 30245).

  Data for 2003-04: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00382-00.asp or (Bib. number 34761).

  Rates for 2003-04 are not directly comparable with previous years due to changes in definitions.

  Data for special schools was not collected fully prior to 2003-04. Information for all schools is therefore only available for 2003-04 and is shown in the following table.

  Attendance Rates for All Schools, 2003-04

  

 
Attendance Rate


Aberdeen City
93.85%


Aberdeenshire
95.30%


Angus
93.88%


Argyll and Bute
93.79%


Clackmannanshire
91.91%


Dumfries and Galloway
94.36%


Dundee City
91.60%


East Ayrshire
92.36%


East Dunbartonshire
93.95%


East Lothian
94.19%


East Renfrewshire
95.15%


Edinburgh, City of
93.18%


Eilean Siar
93.35%


Falkirk
92.79%


Fife
93.32%


Glasgow City
90.54%


Highland
93.18%


Inverclyde
92.86%


Midlothian
93.08%


Moray
94.28%


North Ayrshire
92.03%


North Lanarkshire
92.02%


Orkney Islands
95.15%


Perth and Kinross
93.71%


Renfrewshire
93.02%


Scottish Borders
94.76%


Shetland Islands
94.38%


South Ayrshire
92.87%


South Lanarkshire
92.70%


Stirling
93.14%


West Dunbartonshire
92.55%


West Lothian
93.39%

Epilepsy

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is to see an epilepsy specialist in the Highlands.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is not collected centrally.

  Emergency cases will be immediately referred to a general ward for care and to await assessment. Urgent referrals and children will be seen by visiting neurologist service from NHS Grampian in four to eight weeks. Non-urgent cases will be seen by visiting neurologist service in approximately 26 weeks.

  NHS Highland are currently recruiting a neurologist, which will result in a significant reduction in the above times.

European Funding

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it took to ensure that the draft interim report on the Objective One funding projects in the Highlands and Islands, received by the Executive from the European Commission on 27 September 2004, remained confidential until the completion of the audit process.

Allan Wilson: The document is a draft European Commission report. It forms part of a relatively open process between the Commission, the Scottish Executive and applicant organisations to allow preliminary findings to be made known, a detailed response provided and a final report produced. Circulation by the Scottish Executive was limited to applicants involved in the audit.

European Funding

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which organisations in Scotland had access to the draft interim report on the Objective One funding projects in the Highlands and Islands delivered to the Executive by the European Commission on 27 September 2004.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, the Highland Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scottish Water and Highlands and Islands Partnership Programme.

European Funding

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to investigate how the draft interim report on the Objective One funding projects in the Highlands and Islands, delivered to it by the European Commission on 27 September 2004, came to be in the hands of the BBC.

Allan Wilson: Copies of the report were legitimately in the hands of a number of organisations involved in the audit. The leak is regrettable and serves no constructive purpose. It would be impractical to attempt to establish the BBC’s source.

European Funding

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what preparations it has made to comply with the follow-up audit of the Objective One projects in the Highlands and Islands and to ensure that the information requested by the European Commission is provided in a timeous and efficient manner.

Allan Wilson: Officials are working closely with applicants to ensure that all documentation is available at the time of the visit. However, ultimately it is the responsibility of the individual applicants to ensure that all the necessary documentation is to hand.

European Funding

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of all discussions between the Executive and (a) HM Treasury, (b) the Department for Trade and Industry, (c) the Scotland Office and (d) the European Commission on the funding of the European Union from 2007 to 2013 and the impact of future European budget settlements on the level of European structural funding available to Scotland.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government and the European Commission on a wide range of issues, including the funding of the European Union from 2007 to 2013 and the impact of future European budget settlements on the level of European structural funding available to Scotland.

Family Mediation

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3961 by Mr Sam Galbraith of 13 July 2000, what level of funding has been allocated for family mediation services in the south of Scotland in each year since 2001.

Hugh Henry: The following table shows core funding under the Children, Young People and Families Unified Voluntary Sector Fund received by four services which cover the south of Scotland.

  

 
2001-02
(£)
2002-03
(£)
2003-04
(£)
2004-05
(£)


Family Mediation Borders 
31,930
32,888
33,710
34,553


Family Mediation Dumfries and Galloway
56,650
58,350
59,808
61,303


Family Mediation Lothian
52,005
53,565
54,904
56,277


Family Mediation West 
147,466
151,890
155,687
159,579

Family Mediation

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it will allocate for a national helpline for mediation services.

Hugh Henry: We have outlined various non-legislative proposals to complement the Family Law Bill, including a possible telephone helpline or information service on family relationship issues. Before allocating any funding for a helpline project we will discuss key questions with stakeholders, including the added value of a helpline on family relationships, the links with existing helplines for parents, step-parents and children, and impact on service provision at local level. We will also take account of the current scoping study of telephone helpline services by Parenting across Scotland.  We are also currently looking at options for providing web-based information to improve the availability of information about family law and support services in Scotland.

Family Mediation

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many clients were assisted through mediation services in each year since 1999, broken down by local mediation service.

Hugh Henry: Figures are given in the Annual Reports published by Family Mediation Scotland (FMS). In general, these relate to the number of people who contact local services for information or advice of any kind, not of the final numbers who proceed to mediation (though the report for 2001 does distinguish these, as noted below). Not all the figures have been collated in the same way since 1999.

  

 
2000
2001*
2002
2003


Family Mediation Borders
158
308
297
638


FM Central
325
500
680
587


FM Dumfries and Galloway
169
221
261
127


FM Fife
392
321
70
523


FM Grampian
352
X(1)
X(1)
X(1)


FM Highland
588
768
637
460


FM Lothian
2,377
1,330
1,367
2,000


FM Orkney
107
19
97
113


FM Shetland
48
50
X(2)
X(2)


FM South Lanarkshire (from 2002)
X(3)
X(3)
109
240


FM Tayside
534
553
543
650


FM West
1,151
1,034
1,337
1,063


Counselling and Mediation Western Isles
97
29
76
145



  Notes:

  *In the report for 2001, the total number of all new contacts was given as 5,133, of which 628 mediation cases were started:

  X(1): Figures not provided to FMS.

  X(2): Service not operational.

  X(3): Service not operational until 2002.

  The FMS report for 2004 provides a chart showing the distribution of cases across services but does not give figures of either initial contact or mediation cases.

Fresh Talent Initiative

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many "champions" have been appointed since October 2004 to encourage students to consider staying in Scotland after graduation.

Tom McCabe: Sir David Lane has been appointed as our first Fresh Talent "ambassador" while on sabbatical in Singapore. We will be working with Sir David to identify opportunities to promote Scotland and the Fresh Talent initiative during his time in Singapore. We are also currently looking to identify more ambassadors and champions at both home and abroad, as well as considering how to develop their role in the longer term.

G8 Summit

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-10724 by Mr Andy Kerr on 29 September 2004, whether it will have a direct negotiating role at the G8 summit.

Mr Tom McCabe: The G8 summit is a UK Government responsibility. Whilst the Scottish Executive contributes to the formulation of UK Government policies in many areas, it will not have a direct negotiating role.

G8 Summit

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what influence or direct input it will have on the European Council’s contribution to the G8 summit’s discussions on the G8’s Secure and Facilitated International Travel Initiative (SAFTI).

Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-14805 on 9 March 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

G8 Summit

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it can take to assist the G8 in its aims on non-proliferation of chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear weapons, with particular regard to source material for such weapons.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive plays a full part in helping to formulate commitments the UK Government has made on counter-terrorism, including on the non-proliferation of chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear weapons. Work is on-going – in co-operation with the UK Government and our partners around the world – to fulfil these commitments.

G8 Summit

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what influence or direct input it will have on the European Council’s contribution to the G8 summit’s discussions on Africa in respect of HIV-AIDS.

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what influence or direct input it will have on the European Council’s contribution to the G8 summit’s discussions on Africa in respect of malaria.

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what influence or direct input it will have on the European Council’s contribution to the G8 summit’s discussions on Africa in respect of effectiveness and volume of aid.

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what influence or direct input it will have on the European Council’s contribution to the G8 summit’s discussions on Africa in respect of debt and trade.

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what influence or direct input it will have on the European Council’s contribution to the G8 summit’s discussions on the Africa Action Plan in respect of promoting peace and security.

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what influence or direct input it will have on the European Council’s contribution to the G8 summit’s discussions on the Africa Action Plan in respect of strengthening institutions and governance.

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what influence or direct input it will have on the European Council’s contribution to the G8 summit’s discussions on the Africa Action Plan in respect of fostering trade.

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what influence or direct input it will have on the European Council’s contribution to the G8 summit’s discussions on the Africa Action Plan in respect of economic growth and sustainable development.

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what influence or direct input it will have on the European Council’s contribution to the G8 summit’s discussions on the Africa Action Plan in respect of implementing debt relief.

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what influence or direct input it will have on the European Council’s contribution to the G8 summit’s discussions on the Africa Action Plan in respect of expanding knowledge.

Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Executive inputs to the European Council’s contribution to G8 summit through our participation in the Joint Ministerial Committee on Europe (JMC(E)) meetings, which are held in London and chaired by the Foreign Secretary.

G8 Summit

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers from forces outwith Scotland will be deployed during the G8 summit, who will be in overall control of these officers at a local and operational level, whether a Scottish officer will be in command of individual units or be attached to such units for liaison and advisory purposes and what advice or instructions will be given to these officers on the police service and its links with the community it serves.

Cathy Jamieson: It is too early to be precise about the number of officers from forces outwith Scotland who will be deployed in Scotland during the G8 summit. That will depend on operational decisions to be taken in due course by the Scottish Police Service. Those officers, for example, who are deployed in this way around Gleneagles will be directly under the command of the Chief Constable of Tayside Police and will receive, through him, advice and instructions appropriate to the specific circumstances of their deployment.

Health

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital admissions were due to misuse of over-the-counter analgesics and cough medicines, purchased outwith community pharmacies, in each of the last five years.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is not available.

Health

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any test purchases are made in non-pharmacy outlets in respect of amounts of analgesics and other proprietary medicines sold at any one time.

Mr Andy Kerr: The sale and supply of medicines on the General Sales List Order are controlled under section 53 of the Medicines Act 1968.

  In Scotland, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency enforces the Medicines Act 1968 on behalf of Scottish ministers. Records held do not identify test purchase initiatives in Scotland in non-pharmacy outlets in respect of amounts of analgesics and other proprietary medicines sold at any one time.

Health

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what mandatory training is provided to sales assistants in non-pharmacy outlets regarding the sale of proprietary medicines.

Mr Andy Kerr: Responsibility for the training of sales assistants in non-pharmacy outlets is not a matter for the Executive.

  Before a medicine is classified for general sale, it is considered to be safe to use without professional advice.

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-5400 by Mr Tom McCabe on 20 January 2004, what information it has on levels of obesity amongst (a) pre-school and (b) school children, broken down by NHS board area.

Mr Andy Kerr: Information for all NHS boards in Scotland is not currently available. For those NHS areas where data is available, the following tables show the levels of obesity amongst pre-school children (aged 3 to 3.5 years) and school children (at primary 1, primary 7 and secondary 3).

  High BMI Distribution (>=95th Centile) In Pre-School Children: Those Born In 2000 Who Have Received a 39-42 Month Review1

  

NHS Board
Year of Birth = 2000


No. Examined
Obese (>=95th centile)


Number
%


Total
32,314
2,663
8.2


Argyll and Clyde
2,937
261
8.9


Ayrshire and Arran
2,373
204
8.6


Borders
784
63
8.0


Dumfries and Galloway
1,120
87
7.8


Fife
2,668
217
8.1


Forth Valley
2,296
220
9.6


Greater Glasgow
6,389
517
8.1


Lanarkshire
4,199
357
8.5


Lothian
6,400
514
8.0


Tayside
3,148
223
7.1



  Source: CHSP-Pre School ISD Scotland February 2005.

  Note: 1. A routine review of child's development usually carried out by Health Visitor/GP at around 39 to 42 months.

  High BMI Distribution (>=95th Centile) In School Children: Those who Have Received a Review2 At P1(4 to 5yrs), P7(11 to 12yrs) And S3 (14 to 15yrs) During School Year 2003-04

  

NHS Board
Class Year
School Year = 2003/04


No. Examined
Obese (>=95th centile)


Number
%


Total
P1
15,046
1,380
9.2


 
P7
12,176
2,238
18.4


 
S34
8,334
1,427
17.1


Argyll and Clyde
P1
402
43
10.7


 
P7
384
70
18.2


 
S33
N/A
N/A
N/A


Borders
P1
1,024
79
7.7


 
P7
1,289
224
17.4


 
S3
1,088
203
18.7


Fife
P1
3,394
315
9.3


 
P7
3,725
681
18.3


 
S3
2,825
477
16.9


Lanarkshire
P1
6,270
579
9.2


 
P7
6,612
1,208
18.3


 
S3
4,421
747
16.9


Tayside
P1
3,956
364
9.2


 
P7
166
55
33.1


 
S33
N/A
N/A
N/A



  Source: CHSP-School ISD Scotland February 2005.

  Notes:

  2. A routine review of child's development usually carried out by School Nurse/Doctor.

  3. S3 information for Argyll and Clyde and Tayside NHS Boards is not available.

  4. Excludes Argyll and Clyde and Tayside NHS Boards.

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32276 by Malcolm Chisholm on 17 December 2002, how many people have been diagnosed as suffering from clinical obesity in each year since 2002, broken down by NHS board area.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Estimated Number Patients Seen in general practices in Scotland Newly Diagnosed with "Obesity" or as Being "Overweight" is shown in the following table.

  


Overweight


Year
Obesity
Including Obesity


2002 (consultations with GP only)
8,900
11,500


2003 (consultations with GP only)
8,600
11,400


2003-04 (consultations with GP, practice or district nurse or health visitor)
11,100
16,700



  The Estimated Number of Patients Seen for Obesity

  

Year
Number of Patients Seen


2002 (consultations with GP only)
38,100


2003 (consultations with GP only)
35,600


2003-04 (consultations with GP, practice or district nurse or health visitor)
48,400



  Source: Practice Team Information from Information Services NHS National Services Scotland.

  The tables show the number of newly diagnosed patients and the overall number of patients seen for obesity.

  These figures considerably underestimate the true number of obese people in Scotland. Many people with obesity do not consult their GP. In addition these figures exclude people with obesity who did not consult their GP during the year of the analysis. Also patients may visit the general practice for a condition related to their obesity without obesity itself being recorded.

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29829 by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 October 2002, how many people with morbid obesity have received surgery in order to aid weight reduction in (a) 2001-02, (b) 2002-03, (c) 2003-04 and (d) 2004 to date.

Mr Andy Kerr: The number of patients in Scotland with obesity and those specifically with morbid obesity who have had surgery to aid weight reduction is presented in the table.

  Number of Patients1 Diagnosed in Scotland with Obesity and Morbid Obesity who Have Had Surgery to Aid Weight Reduction

  

Year ending
31 March
Number of Patients with Obesity
Number of Patients with Morbid Obesity


All Years
208
112


2002
52
16


2003
46
20


2004
69
49


2005p
41
27



  PProvisional.

  Note: 1. These statistics are derived from data collected on discharges from non-obstetric and non-psychiatric hospitals (SMR01) in Scotland. The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Other Health Related Problems, tenth revision (ICD10) code E66 has been used to identify Obesity and E66.8 has been used to identify Morbid Obesity. The Office of Populations Censuses and surveys Version 4 (OPCS4) code G30 has been used to identify Plastic Operations on the Stomach.

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13959 by Susan Deacon on 21 March 2001, what percentage of the NHS drugs budget was spent on (a) obesity and (b) diabetes in (i) 2000-01, (ii) 2001-02, (iii) 2002-03, (iv) 2003-04 and (v) 2004 to date.

Mr Andy Kerr: The table gives the percentage of the total prescribing expenditure for drugs used in treatment of obesity (as defined in Section 4.5 of the British National Formulary) and drugs used in diabetes (as defined in Section 6.1 of the British National Formulary) for the financial years 2000-01 to 2003-04, and April to November 2004. The data refer to prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors, but do not take into account medicines dispensed by hospitals or hospital based clinics. The cost of the drugs is before deduction of discount and patient charges and addition of dispensing fees.

  The data reflect the costs of medicines used to treat obesity and diabetes directly and do not include drugs prescribed to treat other conditions associated with these disease states.

  

 
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
April to November 2004


Percentage Total Expenditure
Percentage Total Expenditure
Percentage Total Expenditure
Percentage Total Expenditure
Percentage Total Expenditure


Drugs used in the Treatment of Obesity
0.111%
0.337%
0.412%
0.364%
0.375%


Drugs Used In Diabetes
3.498%
3.730%
3.921%
4.182%
4.510%

Health

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive during what period the Glenbar Clinic, Glenbar Street, Royston, Glasgow provided services to the NHS.

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive in what capacity the Glenbar Clinic, Glenbar Street, Royston, Glasgow provided services to the NHS.

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Glenbar Clinic, Glenbar Street, Royston, Glasgow operated as NHS premises.

Mr Andy Kerr: NHS services were last provided from the Glenbar Clinic in 1997 when it was occupied by a GP practice. Since then it has been occupied by a voluntary drug project funded by the North Glasgow Social Inclusion Partnership.

Hepatitis C

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any patients with haemophilia who contracted Hepatitis C from contaminated blood products have been offered anti-viral treatment and, if so, how many.

Mr Andy Kerr: I would refer you to the answer to question S2W-13558 on 31 January 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have applied to take over the development funding function for their area from Communities Scotland and which local authorities have had such applications approved, showing each implementation date.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to reply. Her response is as follows.

  Glasgow City and the City of Edinburgh have had their business cases approved and now manage the development funding programmes in their areas. The transfer of programme management was implemented in Glasgow City on 1 September 2003 and in the City of Edinburgh on 12 July 2004.

  East Lothian, North Lanarkshire, South Ayrshire and West Lothian have also submitted business cases to transfer the management of development funding in their respective local authority areas.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities have submitted a local housing strategy and how many of these have been approved.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to reply. Her response is as follows:

  All 32 local authorities have submitted a local housing strategy to Communities Scotland for assessment. All have been assessed and Communities Scotland has provided feedback to each local authority.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many mortgage repossessions there have been in each year since 1980, broken down by sheriff court district and, of these, how many were of properties sold under (a) right to buy and (b) rent to mortgage in each year since the schemes were introduced.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally. The Scottish Court Service does not have information which identifies the number of repossessions either for Scotland as a whole or by sheriff court district.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what analysis it has carried out in respect of stamp duty exemption.

Malcolm Chisholm: There are a number of different exemptions and reliefs from Stamp Duty and Stamp Duty Land Tax. The Scottish Executive has carried out no analysis of the impact of these reliefs as taxation is a reserved matter. Scottish ministers do however continue to ensure that Scotland’s interests on the issue of taxation, as on other matters, are placed firmly on the agenda in Whitehall.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether guidance issued to local authorities on the formulation of local housing strategies requires the strategies to include analyses of housing demand and estimates of new-build and regeneration starts.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to reply. Her response is as follows.

  Section 89 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 requires local authorities to undertake a comprehensive assessment of housing need in their area as part of their local housing strategies. Guidance on the preparation of local housing strategies covered approaches to assessing housing need and the need to develop a clear plan of action to tackle the housing problems identified in the strategy.

  Communities Scotland assessed all local housing strategies against 107 detailed criteria. This included consideration of the need for additional affordable housing units and of the links between local housing strategies and regeneration outcome agreements.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what responsibilities registered social landlords have in the implementation of local authority plans and priorities for the areas affected, whilst providing affordable housing.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Guidance on the preparation of local housing strategies produced for local authorities states that registered social landlords, as housing developers and providers, should be key partners in the local housing strategy process.

  A local housing strategy should set out a clear investment framework for registered social landlords and for other partners and providers that would allow them to prioritise and target their actions and resources in support of their local housing strategy.

  Where the local authority intends to introduce a Development Plan policy seeking to support the delivery of affordable housing, it should have regard to the local housing strategy and the local authority should work closely with registered social landlords, developers and other providers to ensure there is a common and shared understanding of the policy and its implications.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many properties have been sold under the Rent to Mortgage scheme in each year since the scheme was introduced, broken down by local authority area

Malcolm Chisholm: Table 1 lists all public authority dwellings sold under the Rent to Mortgage scheme from 1990 to 2004, by local authority area. The scheme was first introduced on a pilot basis by Scottish Homes in October 1989 but there were no sales recorded until 1990. Housing association dwellings are not included in the table (see note 2).

  Table 1: Sales of Public Authority Dwellings, Under the Rent to Mortgage Scheme, by Local Authority Area, 1990 to 2004

  

Local Authority Area
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004


Aberdeen City
0
5
18
76
19
48
43
27
15
19
16
15
7
4
0


Aberdeenshire
0
1
11
24
10
18
10
6
6
8
4
4
2
0
0


Angus
0
1
7
1
2
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


Argyll and Bute
2
2
9
3
0
2
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0


Clackmannanshire
0
6
9
4
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


Dumfries and Galloway
20
0
18
7
1
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


Dundee City
0
0
4
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


East Ayrshire
0
3
11
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


East Dunbartonshire
5
1
7
9
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


East Lothian
0
7
26
2
4
8
6
3
1
0
1
0
0
1
0


East Renfrewshire
9
0
5
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0


City of Edinburgh
0
4
3
4
4
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


Falkirk
0
4
8
9
1
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


Fife
12
18
46
5
4
1
1
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


City of Glasgow
14
2
13
6
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


Highland
51
3
18
5
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


Inverclyde
0
1
1
5
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


Midlothian
0
5
14
3
3
3
1
2
0
0
3
0
0
0
0


Moray
0
0
16
2
1
3
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0


North Ayrshire
0
4
3
5
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


North Lanarkshire
0
21
18
5
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


Orkney
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


Perth and Kinross
0
0
11
5
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


Renfrewshire
0
4
35
5
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


Scottish Borders
6
2
8
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


Shetland
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


South Ayrshire
0
5
17
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


South Lanarkshire
7
17
19
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0


Stirling
6
2
7
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


West Dunbartonshire
0
1
6
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


West Lothian
1
7
19
2
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


Western Isles
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


Totals
133
126
390
199
60
91
65
42
24
27
24
21
9
5
0



  Notes:

  1. The figures include public authority dwellings only (Local Authority, New Town Development Corporations and Scottish Homes dwellings).

  2. Due to the nature of the housing association data collection, it is not possible to separate Rent to Mortgage sales from Right to Buy sales for housing associations (and the latter will form the majority of the sales).

  2. Figures from 1990 to 1996 have been transferred from the former local authority areas to the 32 current areas.

Immigration

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many exhibitions have been organised in Scotland by Work Permits UK (WPUK) in the last year in order to promote the work of WPUK to Scottish businesses and employers.

Allan Wilson: Work Permits UK (WPUK) promoted legal employment routes in Scotland in the last year by inviting Scottish employers and immigration advisors to their annual conference in Islington in November 2004. WPUK met with Scottish Executive staff in September 2004 and they co-ordinated work across Immigration Nationality Directorate (IND) to assist in the production of an Employer’s Toolkit (factsheets on all routes to migration including work-related) for use on the Scottish Executive website and at Relocation Advisory Service.

  WPUK also send a copy of the "Scotland – Fresh Talent" leaflet to all successful applicants to the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme.

  In addition, the publicity information published on the WPUK website is all fully accessible to Scottish employers, as are the printed leaflets.

  WPUK attended a "Fresh Talent" exhibition in 2003 involving an invited audience from CBI. Since then WPUK have also been trying a more targeted approach of meeting with individual employers on request in an effort to promote understanding.

Justice

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the second supplementary question to question S2O-5269 by Rhona Brankin on 3 February 2005, what meetings have taken place between the Deputy Minister for Health and the Minister for Justice on the subject of prosecuting shopkeepers who sell tobacco products to minors; what further meetings are scheduled and for which dates, and what the outcome was of those meetings which have already taken place.

Rhona Brankin: Following evaluation of the "Test Purchasing Pilots" carried out in Scotland, the Lord Advocate announced his decision on 4 March 2005 to revise prosecution policy to allow evidence gained from test purchasing by children of age restricted goods, including tobacco products to be admissible. This will give Trading Standards Officers a useful tool to combat and reduce underage sales. The Scottish Executive will fund training for Trading Standards Officers to ensure that test purchasing is carried out fairly and safely and the protection of children participating will remain paramount.

  In addition, the Scottish Executive is funding Young Scot and the Scottish Retail Consortium to produce information and training packs for retailers on how to avoid sales of age restricted goods to underage children. The continuing roll out of the "PASS" accredited Young Scot Card across Scotland, which includes an accredited proof of age element, will enable retailers to apply "no proof no sale" to all age restricted goods.

  The Health Department will continue to keep closely in touch with the Crown Office and the Justice Department in relation to the roll-out of test purchasing and the other work which the Executive is taking forward on age restricted goods. In view of these developments, I no longer feel a meeting with the Justice Minister to specifically discuss the subject of prosecuting shopkeepers who sell tobacco products to minors is necessary at this time.

Justice

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the legal implications are of a name being recorded in the criminal justice system in a different form from the name registered in the Register of Births, Deaths and Marriages or from any name, or combination of names, commonly used by the individual concerned.

Cathy Jamieson: The Data Protection Act 1998 requires that information recorded on computer databases is accurate. The act acknowledges, however, that data subjects must take some responsibility for providing accurate data in the first instance. In police work, people who are apprehended sometimes do not give accurate information. It is the policy of Scottish police forces to use the name given by an individual as the basis for creating a new record on the Scottish Criminal Record Office Criminal History System if a record for the subject does not already exist. The police take steps to verify information and if the name given is found to be false, the subject’s real name will be also be retained on the record. The name given in the first instance also stays on the record in case the individual seeks to use the same false details again.

  The police do not rely on name alone for the purposes of identifying a subject as there are numerous people born in the United Kingdom with identical names and dates of birth. As such, emphasis is put on recording identifying information such as fingerprints, DNA, photographs and other descriptive features.

Justice

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many females were convicted of drink-driving offences in each year since 1997, broken down by police force area.

Cathy Jamieson: The available information is given in the table.

  Females with a Charge Proved in Scottish Courts for Drink-Driving1, 1997-2002

  

Police Force Area
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002


Central 
32
34
39
46
31
85


Dumfries and Galloway
24
16
18
22
26
19


Fife 
52
42
37
49
47
97


Grampian 
102
93
73
104
112
117


Lothian and Borders 
165
153
122
128
125
196


Northern 
46
59
51
47
69
77


Strathclyde 
305
245
208
217
242
389


Tayside 
70
72
61
74
73
84


Total
796
714
609
687
725
1,064



  Note: 1. Where main offence.

Justice

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many drink-driving convictions there were in (a) 1997 and (b) 1998, broken down by police force area.

Cathy Jamieson: The available information is given in the table.

  Persons with a Charge Proved in Scottish Courts for Drink Driving1, 1997–98

  

Police Force Area
1997
1998


Central 
424
383


Dumfries and Galloway
214
189


Fife 
488
424


Grampian 
948
895


Lothian and Borders 
1,437
1,366


Northern 
645
544


Strathclyde 
3,710
2,869


Tayside 
653
617


Total
8,519
7,287



  Note: 1. Where main offence.

Land Register

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the Land Register to be completed.

Johann Lamont: The Keeper of the Registers of Scotland is responsible for the administration of the two property registers in Scotland. These registers are the General Register of Sasines, a register of deeds, which is gradually being superseded by the Land Register, a register of title. The Land Registration (Scotland) Act 1979 introduced the system of land registration in Scotland. The act envisaged the progressive introduction of the Land Register over Scotland on an area-by-area basis. This was completed in 2003, and the whole of Scotland is now operational for the purposes of land registration.

  Transactions that induce first registration in the Land Register are set out in the Land Registration (Scotland) Act 1979. Generally, only a transfer of property for valuable consideration (i.e. a price) will induce the first registration of a property in the Land Register. Thus any property transfer involving deeds recorded in the General Register of Sasines that does not attract a price will remain on that register.

  There is no set timescale for every property in Scotland to be held on the Land Register. Over time, as more properties held on the Register of Sasines are sold, the stock of properties in Scotland held on the Land Register will increase. The percentage of properties in the Land Register is presently rising by around 3% a year.

Land Register

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the Land Register to be completely available online.

Johann Lamont: The Land Register is made up of title sheets for each individual property registered and is held electronically.

  Information from the Land Register is already available online. In 2001 Registers of Scotland introduced a service known as Registers Direct. This service provides information from the Land Register, and certain other registers, on the internet.

  Subject to passage of the necessary subordinate legislation, Registers of Scotland plans to begin the roll-out of electronic registration – known as Automated Registration of Title to Land (ARTL) – from November 2006. This system will permit straightforward land registration transactions to be undertaken online.

Land Register

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will end the cross-subsidy of costs and charges in land registration.

Johann Lamont: The fees set in respect of the services provided by Registers of Scotland distinguish between the fees for registration in the registers and the fees for inspecting the information contained in those registers. There is no cross-subsidisation of costs and fees between the registration of property in the property registers and the inspection of information from those registers. The overall costs of registration are met from the overall fee income for registration. Similarly the fees charged for inspection of the registers are intended to meet the overall costs associated with making the registers available for public inspection. The scales upon which fees are calculated for registration of titles and standard securities differ, to reflect generally the different levels of work required. Registers of Scotland is currently undertaking a review of fees relating to the provision of information from the registers, and plans to undertake a review of registration fees in 2006.

Land Register

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is confident that land certificates issued by the Land Register are accurate.

Johann Lamont: Scottish ministers set an annual target for Registers of Scotland in respect of the accuracy of land certificates that are issued when an application for registration is complete.

  The target for the current financial year, 2004-05, requires the Land Register to achieve a registration accuracy rate of at least 98% for land certificates despatched during the previous 12 months. In the 12 months up to 31 December 2004, the Land Register achieved an accuracy rate of 98.60%. 321,918 land certificates were issued from the Land Register during that period, of which 4,503 have required subsequent amendment.

  Though most are minor and readily remedied, the occurrence of inaccuracies in land certificates is a matter that the Keeper of the Registers and his staff treat very seriously. In order to deliver and maintain improvements in accuracy, a number of measures have been put in place, including the creation of a Data and Information Unit and a Quality Steering Group in Registers of Scotland.

  Where a Land Certificate contains an inaccuracy, a party affected may apply to the Keeper to have this rectified in the register. The Land Registration (Scotland) Act 1979 provides for the payment of indemnity to those who have suffered loss as a result of such inaccuracies. Last year, payments were necessary in less than 0.05% of applications.

Land Register

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many registration of title applications have been rejected by the Land Register in each year for which the information is available.

Johann Lamont: The following table shows the position for the last three years compared to the intake for that period.

  

Year
Rejections
Intake
% Rejected


2002-03
35,152
273,630
12.8%


2003-04
42,933
333,623
12.9%


2004-05
53,986
357,978
14.8%

Land Register

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what work is required by the Land Register following the abolition of the feudal system and what the timescale is for completion of this work.

Johann Lamont: The work required by Registers of Scotland in relation to the Land Register derives not only from the abolition of the feudal system of land tenure in Scotland which was abolished by the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act 2000, but also from the related reform of title conditions resulting from the Title Conditions (Scotland) Act 2003.

  The main type of work in the Land Register that arises as a consequence of this legislation is in relation to the Burdens Section of the title sheet. The title sheet is the entry in the Land Register for an individual property. The Burdens Section sets out the various conditions that affect the property. These frequently include conditions arising from the feudal system of land holding. The legislation affects existing conditions and feudal burdens that appear in the title sheets of most of the titles that are currently registered in the Land Register.

  The work required will involve the updating of over a million title sheets that have become inaccurate after 28 November 2004, because the legislation has affected entries in the Burdens Section. Certain categories of title conditions included in registered titles have become extinct.

  All existing registered titles will be examined and those title conditions that have been extinguished by the legislation, removed. The work will be undertaken on a phased and systematic basis. An outline timetable for delivery will be published during 2005-06. The updating work will be completed by 2014, as is anticipated in the legislation.

Land Register

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether anyone is potentially disadvantaged by delay in registration of title by the Land Register.

Johann Lamont: The date of registration in respect of a property is the date upon which Registers of Scotland receives the application for registration. The logging of an application on receipt secures the applicant’s interest in the property. Once an application has been received, no other party can lodge an application in respect of that property that would take precedence over the original application. This means that if the registration takes longer than usual, for example if the application is particularly complex, there is no legal disadvantage to the security of the applicant's title.

Land Register

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of properties have been registered with the Land Register

Johann Lamont: Scotland has two property registers, the General Register of Sasines, a register of deeds which is being superseded by the Land Register of Scotland, a register of title. There are some 2.6 million properties held between the two registers of which some 1.2 million are registered in, or the subject of applications to, the Land Register as at February 2005. This equates to approximately 46% of all properties that could potentially be registered in the Land Register.

Land Register

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost is of the registration of (a) title and (b) re-mortgage of individual domestic properties.

Johann Lamont: Registers of Scotland collates information on the average cost of processing each of the different types of application in the Land Register, and an average cost for all deeds that are recorded in the General Register of Sasines. There are three different types of application that may be made to the Land Register. These are:

  First registrations of previously unregistered property;

  Transfers of part of property registered in the Land Register (such as subdivision of that property by a sale), and

  Dealings with Whole, which are transactions affecting the whole of registered property.

  The average costs for each of these types of application is set out in the following table:

  

Application
Average cost


First Registration (Land Register)
£321.23


Dealing (Land Register)
£50.41


Transfer of Part (Land Register)
£246.07


Sasine Register
£27.03



  Applications for the registration of mortgage transactions (including re-mortgages) in the Land Register are classed as Dealings and included within that average cost.

Land Register

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many registration of (a) title and (b) re-mortgage applications made have been made in each year since the creation of the Land Register.

Johann Lamont: The information collated by Registers of Scotland relates to the three different types of application that can be made to the Land Register. These are as follows:

  an application for first registration of previously unregistered property,

  an application for registration of a dealing with the whole of a registered interest in land, and

  an application for registration of a transfer of part of a registered interest in land (a sub-division following a sale).

  Once a property is registered in the Land Register any subsequent transaction involving that property (a transfer of title, a standard security, a discharge of a standard security) will be submitted as an application for registration of a dealing with whole.

  The following table provides details of the number of applications for registration in the Land Register since the inception of land registration in 1981.

  

Year
First Registration
Transfer of Part
Dealing with Whole
Totals


1981
4,247
347
236
4,830


1982
7,187
1,136
1,176
9,499


1983
10,904
3,874
1,600
16,378


1984
18,110
2,700
6,815
27,625


1985
19,916
3,511
9,915
33,342


1986-87
30,417
5,215
20,812
56,444


1987-88
29,739
7,359
28,091
65,189


1988-89
31,172
9,786
36,676
77,634


1989-90
31,178
10,194
46,263
87,635


1990-91
25,392
9,013
53,753
88,158


1991-92
19,881
8,342
53,889
82,112


1992-93
18,014
7,517
48,950
74,481


1993-94
24,391
8,032
59,329
91,752


1994-95
26,132
9,442
58,253
93,827


1995-96
28,963
10,617
61,495
101,075


1996-97
36,709
12,163
68,792
117,664


1997-98
50,032
14,349
77,661
142,042


1998-99
46,387
15,588
92,024
153,999


1999-2000
55,466
16,833
101,213
173,512


2000-01
57,400
18,418
113,368
189,186


2001-02
76,693
22,211
144,130
243,034


2002-03
80,052
22,294
179,779
282,125


2003-04
76,094
26,169
240,145
342,408


2004-05
(to February 2005)
67,591
24,032
249,443
341,066



  Registers of Scotland can also identify the total number of applications to register a dealing in the Land Register that relate to standard securities which includes mortgages and re-mortgages. This information is available from the year 2000 onwards:

  

Year
No. of Applications to Register a Standard Security


2000-01
25,327


2001-02
34,717


2002-03
48,829


2003-04
82,213


2004-05 
(to February 2005)
92,401



  Re-mortgage transactions will also have been recorded in the General Register of Sasines though the difference in classification of the different types of applications does not apply in that register.

Land Register

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many registration of title applications are outstanding and, of these, how many have been outstanding for more than (a) six months, (b) one year, (c) two years, (d) three years, (e) four years and (f) five years.

Johann Lamont: The length of time that an application for registration takes to process depends primarily on its complexity but also on other factors such as the availability of supporting documentation from applicants, the completeness of neighbouring titles and whether there are associated applications which should be processed at the same time. The current totals of applications for registration in the Land Register that are in the course of being processed are as follows:

  

Timescale
Stock
Relative Intake


<6 months
65,828
177,058


6-12 months
30,691
180,920


1-2 years
38,779
333,623


2-3 years
17,485
273,630


3-4 years
9,103
238,406


4-5 years
3,052
188,864


> 5 years
1,973
 



  Of the 14,128 applications for registration which are over three years old, some 72% are linked to other applications in that category and can only be taken forward when these preceding applications have been resolved.

  Registers of Scotland are required to meet targets set by ministers as regards the average time taken to process applications for registration in the Land Register. In the past three years, Registers of Scotland has met all such targets.

  In 2004-05 ministers set a target to eliminate stocks of domestic First Registrations over 1 year old during the next three years with a milestone reduction of 25% from the stock position at 31 March 2004 by 31 March 2005. Registers of Scotland expects to meet this target.

  In addition, Registers of Scotland has specifically addressed arrears of older casework and all of the agency’s oldest casework is either in the course of being processed or awaiting supplementary information from the submitting agents. Registers of Scotland is on track to process all applications that are pre-year 2000 and not subject to factors outwith the keeper’s control, by the end of this financial year.

Local Authority Finance

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is concerned at the £1.27 billion debt owed by Glasgow City Council and what plans it has to assist the local authority to reduce the scale of the debt.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive is content with the arrangements for sound and effective management of this debt. The Scottish Executive provides revenue support in the form of Loan Charge Support to meet the costs of servicing this debt, except for a small element which is met in the main by income from housing rents and housing support grant.

Lords Lieutenant

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost to local authorities was of administering and servicing the duties of lords lieutenant and their deputies in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002, (e) 2003 and (f) 2004, broken down by local authority.

Mr Tom McCabe: The cost to local authorities of administering and servicing the duties of lords lieutenant and their deputies is not identified separately in the local authority expenditure returns made to the Scottish Executive.

Ministerial Correspondence

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of MSPs’ letters to ministers is seen by ministers.

Ms Margaret Curran: All letters from MSPs on devolved matters are seen and replied to by ministers, except those about operational issues. Letters relating to operational issues are replied to by the Scottish Executive Agency concerned. Where appropriate, a copy of the response is forwarded to the relevant minister for information. Letters on reserved matters are sent to the relevant Whitehall Department for reply.

NHS 24

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-6744 by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 March 2004 and S2W-13861 by Mr Andy Kerr on 9 February 2005, when it anticipates that the average cost of a telephone call to NHS 24 will be £22.

Mr Andy Kerr: The average cost per call will change each month. That is due to fluctuations in running costs, for example, increases/decreases in numbers of staff and their salary costs. It will also change as the volumes of calls grow and with any seasonal effects.

  NHS 24 became available to the whole of Scotland from mid November 2004. The figures for the fourth quarter (ending 31 March 2005) will for the first time show the fully rolled out operating costs for the national service. Financial year 2005-06 will be the first full year that an average cost per call will be available for the all-Scotland service.

  The expected service improvements from the recently announced review of NHS 24 are likely to impact on the average cost per call. I am less concerned about what that impact might be than I am about securing improvements to the operational performance of the organisation - especially to the responsiveness of the service to callers and waiting times for service users.

NHS Staff

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-13978 by Rhona Brankin on 23 February 2005, whether it will provide a full answer to the question and, in particular, what guidance has been issued by ministers to NHS staff regarding verification that application of physical restraint to persons undergoing treatment is lawful other than in the case of mental health patients and whether it will place a copy of that guidance in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Rhona Brankin: No guidance has currently been issued to NHS staff. Draft guidance has however been prepared by NHS Education Scotland (NES) on the education and training standards for violence and aggression for those in the mental health setting and it has been to place a copy of the guidance in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre when finalised. That guidance will be adapted to apply to NHSScotland in general.

NHS Staff

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-13975 by Rhona Brankin on 23 February 2005, whether it will provide a full answer to the question and, in particular, what steps are being taken by staff working on behalf of the NHS to ensure that any person brought to their attention for treatment, who is under physical restraint, is lawfully restrained.

Rhona Brankin: The law concerning physical restraint centres around the use of reasonable force. Draft guidance has however been prepared by NHS Education Scotland (NES) on the education and training standards for violence and aggression for those in the mental health setting and it has been to place a copy of the guidance in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre when finalised. That guidance will be adapted to apply to NHSScotland in general.

NHS Waiting Times

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9715 by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 August 2004, how the £2.95 million neurology initiative to reduce out-patient waiting times has been allocated.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Executive is making revenue funding of £112,000 available to each of the four regional neurology centres in Scotland. Following bidding we are currently finalising details with the centres for the distribution of capital funding of £2.5 million.

  Drawing on the successful "Action-On" methodology used in England and Wales, this revenue funding will support clinical leads and project managers to redesign out-patient services and introduce new ways of working. Capital funding will enable the centres to refurbish premises and purchase additional equipment to support the redesigned services. We are making the funding available on the understanding that it will deliver clear benefits for patients, particularly in terms of reduced waiting times.

National Health Service

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to conduct research into the combined purchasing of drugs for hospital and primary care services on a national basis to ensure cost effectiveness.

Mr Andy Kerr: There are no current plans to do so. I believe that the current arrangements secure a cost-effective means of purchasing medicines for the NHS and that a combined system would sacrifice the advantages offered by the current separate arrangements.

  In the community, medicines dispensed by community pharmacists against NHS prescriptions are purchased and owned by the pharmacist. Once a medicine is dispensed, the pharmacist is reimbursed the cost of the item less a discount. The financial risk and the administrative costs are borne by the contractors and not the NHS.

  Medicines are purchased in hospitals mainly through National and regional purchasing arrangements to take advantage of the collective purchasing power of NHS boards. The distribution arrangements for medicines used in hospitals are less complex than those for use in the community due to the relatively small number of distribution points.

Nutrition

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2O-4899 by Mr Euan Robson on 13 January 2005, whether it will provide details of the evidence that the nutritional value of milk is "equivocal" and place any research material on the issue in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Euan Robson: I must clarify that my previous answer stated that nutritional opinion on the merits of increasing milk consumption, other than low fat milk, is equivocal, rather than the nutritional value of milk is equivocal. Milk does have a clear nutritional value on many counts; it is a nutrient rich food, and a rich source of protein, fat, carbohydrates and various micronutrients especially calcium, riboflavin and vitamin A. We consider it should be seen as part of a varied diet.

  The evidence is held in various documents, but can be summarised as follows:

  The amount of calcium required to maintain a healthy skeleton varies with age and gender. There are also differences in the recommendations relating to calcium intakes. The Department of Health's subgroup on Bone Health, the Working Group on the Nutritional Status of the Population of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA), recommended that the dietary reference nutrient intake (RNI) of calcium for children aged seven to 10 years is 550 mg per day and for children aged 11 to 18 years, 1,000mg and 800mg respectively for boys and girls (Department of Health. Nutrition and Bone Health: with particular reference to calcium and vitamin D. 1998 and Department of Health. Dietary Reference Values for Food Energy and Nutrients for the United Kingdom. Report on Health and Social Subjects: 41 London: HMSO, 1991).

  However the National Osteoporosis Society (NOS) recommendations are in line with the USA National Institute of Health (NIH) Consensus Panel 4. (National Institute of Health Consensus Development Panel. Optimal Calcium Intake. JAMA 1994;272:1942-1948) and differ from COMA recommendations. NOS/NIH recommend an intake of 800 mg per day for children aged 7 to 12 years and 1,000 for teenagers aged 13 to 19 years. COMA reviewed the evidence presented by the NIH Consensus Panel and could find no scientific justification to adopt its recommendations at this stage.

  Calcium intakes in primary children currently meet recommended levels (using COMA RNIs), however, intake drops off as children, and particularly girls, enter their teenage years. This is related to the increase in their consumption of other drinks at this age. It also relates to changes in their food choices - intake of dairy products of all types falls at this age also. Hungry for Success, (Hungry for Success: A whole school approach to school meals in Scotland) and subsequently the Scottish Nutrient Standards for School Lunches recognise the importance of milk in the diet of children and young people and recommend that plain or flavoured drinking milk should be available as an option every day. Semi-skimmed and skimmed milks have the same amount of calcium as whole milk and should be provided for drinking as well as cooking.

  Fizzy, sugary soft drinks should not be served as part of school lunch in primary schools and should not be encouraged in secondary schools. Carbonated water, plain water, milk and fruit juices are considered appropriate drinks. Milk is a good alternative to sugary, fizzy drinks, and semi-skimmed milk provides less fat than whole milk. The use of semi-skimmed milk is in line with existing recommendations, e.g. the Scottish Diet Action Plan. There is a desirability to gradually wean Scottish children away from a predilection for sweet flavours. Semi-skimmed plain and flavoured milk drinks are to be encouraged as an immediate alternative to fizzy, sugary soft drinks as they can be a valuable source of protein and calcium. Therefore no nutrient specifications for flavoured milk have been set. However, any added sugar should be kept to a minimum in order to assist in meeting the Nutrient Standards for NME sugars (Scottish Executive (2003). Nutrition in Schools: Scottish Nutrient Standards for Manufactured Products. Edinburgh: Scottish Executive).

  In addition, some local authorities are actively working with suppliers to source low fat flavoured milk [personal communication: Direct and Care Services, Glasgow]. In many areas, money received as part of the Hungry for Success initiative is being used to subsidise milk as part of school lunches. Water is recognised as being necessary, particularly in children and young people, for hydration and to facilitate concentration and learning. However, when it is not available children will often meet their hydration needs with fizzy, sugary soft drinks, which will often be more readily available and cheaper than bottled water (Alexander L, Currie C, Todd J and Smith R (2004) HBSC Briefing Paper 7 : How are Scotland's young people doing? A cross-national perspective on physical activity, TV viewing, eating habits, body image and oral hygiene Edinburgh: Child Adolescent Health Research Unit.) However, in recent years significant attempts have been made to improve access to drinking water, and especially tap water, in schools. This is especially important outside of lunchtimes when other sources of hydration are not available.

Parliamentary Questions

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many answers to parliamentary questions it gave where a full response was unavailable as the information was not held centrally in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002, (e) 2003 and (f) 2004.

Ms Margaret Curran: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Pensions

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to make any legislative changes to public sector pension schemes.

Tavish Scott: Yes.

  The proposed changes stem from the announcement in 2003 by the UK Government that it intended to proceed with its reform of public service pension schemes. This followed the publication in 2002 of the green paper entitled "Simplicity, security and choice: working and saving for retirement". The case for reform is based on increasing longevity, the rising cost of occupational pensions and the need to ensure the long term sustainability of public service pension schemes in the UK.

  It is proposed to introduce arrangements for public service schemes by 2006 for new staff and by 2013 for existing staff. The necessary legislation will be introduced following appropriate consultation with members and employers.

Planning

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft Scottish Planning Policy on green belts will retain (a) the term "green belt" and (b) the presumption against development in green belts.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft Scottish Planning Policy on green belts will reflect all aspects of a green belt, including the environmental, rural and recreational potential of existing green belts.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft Scottish Planning Policy on green belts will encourage the creation of new green belts.

Johann Lamont: A revised policy is currently in preparation. We intend to publish the draft Scottish Planning Policy for full consultation in late spring 2005.

Prescription Charges

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether patients receiving on-going peritoneal dialysis and haemodialysis are charged for any prescriptions for medication relating to their condition.

Mr Andy Kerr: It will depend on the underlying condition. Patients holding valid medical exemption certificates do not pay NHS prescription charges.

Public Private Partnerships

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the supplementary question to S2O-5214 by Mr Andy Kerr on 3 February 2005 ( Official Report , c 14265), whether additional capacity at Hairmyres Hospital, Wishaw General Hospital and Edinburgh Royal Infirmary was provided by the use of PFI/PPP.

Mr Andy Kerr: The level and mix of services at any new health facility are determined by NHS managers and clinicians before and independent of a decision being taken on whether it should be built using public capital or private finance. The capacity of hospital services is based on a wider assessment of overall service delivery requirements, including treatment in community based settings. In the case of Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, bed numbers have increased whereas in both Wishaw General and Hairmyres Hospitals, the bed numbers have decreased slightly, but have been complimented by more day care and out-patient treatment. Medical and technological advances and changes in the way health care professionals work means that more services are now delivered on a day case and in out-patient and community settings. This is due to normal development of the planning of health services and not as a result of the PFI process.

Regional Selective Assistance

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-13481 by Allan Wilson on 26 January 2005, how it can assess and evaluate the success of regional selective assistance (RSA) if information on the actual number of jobs created or safeguarded is not readily available.

Allan Wilson: The RSA scheme is not evaluated on an annual basis as the nature of the scheme involves support for projects that create or safeguard jobs over a number of years. The employment benefits secured therefore are generated over the full duration of the project and not attributable to any one particular year.

  However, the effectiveness of the scheme is subject to periodic evaluation. Past evaluations have considered the employment impact of RSA over a number of years, allowing the effectiveness and economic benefit of the scheme to be assessed. The last formal UK wide evaluation, covering the period 1991-95, conducted by Arup, was published in September 2000. A full copy of this report can be found at www.dti.gov.uk/regional/evaluationRSA91-95.pdf. In addition, the Executive commissioned an external review of the RSA scheme in Scotland, whose report was published in February 2002, to examine the usefulness of the scheme at a Scottish level. A full copy of the report and a ministerial response to the findings is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre, (Bib. number 19180).

  Individual RSA projects are monitored against specific employment targets and other outcomes. Grant is released in instalments against the achievement of specific targets over the life of the project and information on jobs created or safeguarded is recorded as grant instalments are claimed.

Registers of Scotland

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-13591 by Tavish Scott on 7 February 2005, which of the computer systems used by it or its agencies for recording personal details cannot record (a) people's full names as legally recorded in the Register of Births, Deaths and Marriages, (b) all the initials of the forenames legally recorded in the register and (c) three initials or forenames as a minimum.

Mr Tom McCabe: As there is no central repository for name formats in ICT systems in use across the Executive and its agencies, to provide the information requested on an individual system basis could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Renewable Energy

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the division of powers is between it and the UK Government in relation to the location and regulation of offshore wind farms.

Mr Jim Wallace: Consent for projects proposed within Scottish territorial waters are the responsibility of Scottish ministers in terms of section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. Following the introduction of the Energy Act in 2004, the granting of consent under the Electricity Act for offshore renewable projects beyond territorial waters is to be executively devolved into the Renewable Energy Zone adjacent to Scotland, created by the act.

Royal Visits

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost to local authorities was of administering royal visits and royal holidays in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002, (e) 2003 and (f) 2004, broken down by local authority.

Mr Tom McCabe: The cost to local authorities of administering royal visits and royal holidays is not identified separately in the local authority expenditure returns made to the Scottish Executive.

Royal Visits

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14474 by Cathy Jamieson on 1 March 2005, whether local police forces were required to meet the costs of policing events attended by the royal family and, if so, what percentage of each force’s budget was used for policing such events in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002, (e) 2003 and (f) 2004.

Cathy Jamieson: To the extent that police officers from a local force were on duty during an event attended by the Royal Family as part of their normal duties, there will be no additional cost incurred by the local force. Otherwise, as I indicated in my earlier answer to question S2W-14474 on 1 March 2005, it is not the policy of the Scottish Executive to comment on, or otherwise disclose details of, the cost of policing events attended by members of the royal family as to do so could compromise their security and play into the hands of those who might wish to intimidate them or cause them harm.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament/webapp/wa.search.

Royal Visits

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14474 by Cathy Jamieson on 1 March 2005, why giving the police costs requested could compromise the security of the royal family.

Cathy Jamieson: To disclose the additional costs of a police operation would divulge the extent of that operation and enable those, who might wish at a future date to intimidate or cause harm to members of the Royal Family, to work out the degree of security and protection provided.

Schools

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it will spend on schools in respect of (a) backlog repairs and (b) future maintenance work in the next five years, broken down by local authority.

Peter Peacock: Detailed spending decisions of this nature are matters entirely for local authorities.

Schools

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many pupils have been expelled from (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in the last year, broken down by (i) reason for expulsion and (ii) local authority area.

Peter Peacock: The number of pupils are shown in the following tables

  Number of Pupils Removed from The Register, by Reason For Removal*, 2003-04

  

 
(a) Primary
(b) Secondary


Aggressive behaviour
11
20


Alcohol related
 
1


Disruptive behaviour
5
10


Drugs related
 
9


Fighting
 
5


General or persistent disobedience
5
21


Insolent or offensive behaviour
5
12


Offensive weapon
1
24


Other
 
12


Physical abuse of pupils
4
56


Physical abuse of staff
8
12


Refusal to attend class
2
1


Sexual innuendo
 
5


Theft
 
1


Vandalism
 
1


Verbal abuse of pupils
3
1


Verbal abuse of staff
4
15



  Note: *some pupils were excluded for more than one reason.

  Number of Pupils Removed from the Register, by Local Authority, 2003-04

  

 
(a) Primary
(b) Secondary


Aberdeen City
4
26


Aberdeenshire
 
6


Edinburgh, City of
7
16


Glasgow City
6
84


Moray
 
5


North Lanarkshire
2
10


Scottish Borders
1
 


West Dunbartonshire
1
1


West Lothian
 
1

Schools

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many suicides that took place between 1997 and 2004 were as a result of school bullying.

Peter Peacock: The General Register Office for Scotland records causes of death including suicide. It does not record the reason for suicide. The Scottish Executive holds no further data on the reason for suicide. The Scottish Executive maintains a close interest in cases of suicide of children and young people to consider all possible causes, so that information is used to inform policy development.

Scottish Executive Departments

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all Executive agencies, non-departmental public bodies and other public bodies currently in existence.

Mr Tom McCabe: Information on Executive Agencies and public bodies formally classified as non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), is contained on the Public Bodies and Appointments website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/government/publicbodies/.

  Details of bodies not classified as Executive Agencies or NDPBs are not held centrally by the Executive.

Scottish Executive Ministers

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-13883 by Ms Margaret Curran on 8 February 2005, which ministers hold committee partnership meetings with members of parliamentary committees outwith scheduled committee meetings and on what basis committee members are invited to attend.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Partnership Agreement makes it clear that both parties are committed to constructive dialogue between ministers and backbenchers to build a strong partnership. Regular meetings take place between Deputy Ministers and other ministers as appropriate, and backbench members of both parties.

Scottish Executive Procurement

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of staff in its procurement division is working on major capital projects other than PFI/PPP, detailing each project.

Mr Tom McCabe: There are 13% of staff compliment in the building division of the Scottish Procurement Directorate (SPD) and 13% of staff compliment in the Procurement Operations branch of SPD advising on major capital projects. This represents a total of nine projects; seven IT-enabled business change projects, one building project for Scottish Drugs Enforcement Agency and one estate development project at Jordanhill School.

  The majority of all other major capital projects being handled by the core Executive are dealt with by roads division.

Scottish Executive Procurement

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-11414 by Mr Tom McCabe on 9 November 2004, when it will publish guidance on procurement strategies.

Mr Tom McCabe: The guidance on procurement strategies will be published as part of a construction procurement manual which substantially amends and supersedes the existing construction client pack. It is expected that this will be available by May 2005.

Social Exclusion

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when Scottish Enterprise will inform New Futures Fund projects whether they will continue to receive funding until March 2006.

Allan Wilson: Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise will have completed a performance assessment of New Futures Fund (NFF) projects by the end of March 2005 and NFF projects will be informed thereafter.

Social Exclusion

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the peak staffing levels of New Futures Fund projects were in the last year.

Allan Wilson: In 2004 the peak recorded staffing levels of New Futures Fund projects were 165 staff.

Social Exclusion

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated staffing levels are for New Futures Fund projects.

Allan Wilson: Current staffing levels across New Futures Fund (NFF) projects are 142. Future staffing levels cannot be estimated until decisions about on-going funding for NFF projects are made. I refer the member to my response to question S2W-14983 on 14 March 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Social Exclusion

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the peak level of client contact was within New Futures Fund projects in the last year.

Allan Wilson: In 2004, the peak recorded level of client contact within New Futures Fund projects was 2,183.

Sport

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were members of sports clubs in each of the last three years.

Patricia Ferguson: Information is not held in the format requested. However, recent figures from the Scottish Opinion Survey suggest that 957,000 Scots were members of sports clubs.

Teachers

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals it has to change the Scottish Teachers' Superannuation Scheme.

Tavish Scott: Pensions policy is reserved to Westminster and therefore, in line with UK Government policy on public service pensions, the Scottish Teachers' Superannuation Scheme [STSS] is currently under review. The main aims of the review are to ensure that the scheme continues to represent security and value for money for both employees and employers, that it is financially sustainable in the longer term.

  A consultation on options for the STSS ended on 14 January 2005 and comments are currently being analysed. Final decisions on the design of the new scheme will not be made for some months and close liaison will be maintained with schemes elsewhere in the UK to ensure a consistent approach.

Telecommunications

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it employs to evaluate the proportion of time children spend on the internet for educational activities.

Peter Peacock: Information was gathered on children’s use of computers and the internet which included:

  Within school, 55% of S4 pupils used a computer three or more times a week, while most of the younger pupils used it once or twice a week or less.

  There were a number of differences in the usage at home and school, with the most significant (educationally) being the lack of pressure of time at home .

  Summary reports from the first two The Impact of ICT Initiatives in Scottish Schools surveys can be found on the internet at www.scotland.gov.uk/library2/doc16/ic63-00.asp and www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/ins2-00.asp and at the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 35663 and 25548). The third and final phase of this research is due to be received by the Executive at the end of March 2005 and will be published in due course.

Telecommunications

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish any figures or research showing the number of children who have access to broadband internet at (a) home and (b) school.

Peter Peacock: The "Impact of ICT Initiatives in Scottish Schools" survey in 2000-2001 found that:

  (a) At school, 55% of S4 pupils used a computer three or more times a week, while most of the younger pupils used it once or twice a week or less

  (b) At home, 80% at P7 and 83% at S4 indicated that they had access to a computer outside school and half used it on three or more days a week.

  The study did not ask about the bandwidth of home connections, but on 2 March 2005 figures received from Scottish Enterprise showed over 93% of Scottish homes can potentially receive broadband access and we are delivering access to every Scottish community by the end of 2005.

  Information collected from local authorities during planning for the Scottish School Digital Network in 2004 indicates that at least 78% of Secondary schools, 38% of primary schools and 50% of special schools have links of at least 2mbps.

Tourism

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how (a) it and (b) VisitScotland will be represented at the International Tourism Exchange convention in Berlin in March 2005.

Patricia Ferguson: VisitScotland will be present at this event, and view it as an excellent opportunity to forge new contacts, as well as meeting with existing contacts. VisitScotland’s branding for the new "Scotland – Welcome to our life" campaign will be fully evident at the convention. VisitScotland will use this opportunity to highlight all that Scotland has to offer as a great destination to visit.